April 19, 2019
I was given a SoH about 8 years ago from an anonymous spreader of happiness during a time that my youngest son (2 years at the time) was having some of his most difficult times (he is autistic) and keeping up with his therapies and behaviors was quite the challenge. I kept my SoH with me at all times. Sometimes in my pocket, but always within in grasp – it truly got me through some difficult situations.
Fast forward 8 years and my son is having better days – and, yes, I still have my SoH, but it now has a place front and center in my living room…
The story, and sharing, continues…. I work in an elementary school (K-5th) where the needs of our students are always top priority – and we have about 720 of them! What I have focused on in recent months is our staff – I purchased a bag of seeds to give out for those who need a smile.
We have multiple staff members who have lost a family member or family members are ill, a staff member who has endured 2 miscarriages, and a staff member who has felt so overwhelmed by the amount of support some of our students need and not having the resources to provide it. Our principal’s mother-in-law had multiple strokes this past Christmas Eve, and a month ago the principal’s own father was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer. All have received a SoH, anonymously, from me. And, although I don’t see all of the reactions to the “gift”, those I have been fortunate to witness is a blessing – because I know EXACTLY what being a recipient of a SoH can mean to a person.
Today I purchased a Large Angel Seed for our principal because I don’t know how she is getting through each day (principal, wife, mother of 3 boys, caregiver and transporter to doctor appointments/therapies for her mother-in-law and recently taking up residence in a hospital to support her father) – there must be an angel watching over her and holding her up (perhaps her mother who passed almost 20 years ago) - I hope the angel seed brings a little light into her life. I also just purchased a Boy Big Seed because the staff member who had 2 miscarriages is pregnant and expecting a son in June – we have a baby shower planned for her here at the school and, again anonymously, she will received the boy seed!
I am sure “my story” is not unique, but one worth sharing just the same…. So thank YOU for all that you have done and continue to do!
May 05, 2025
I sent seeds of Happiness to a family that lost a child. Here is the note I sent along with it.
Mark gave his friends a handful of smiles and explained he felt helpless because there was nothing he could say or do to take their pain away. So he made them a handful of smiles, thinking they could hold onto them until they got their smile back. The family loved them and it actually helped bring a smile back to each of them. I'm hoping that these will do the same for you. With my deepest sympathies Charlotte and family Thanks Mark. You guys are the best! Charlotte |
May 05, 2025
My name is Mark. I am from St. Louis. I went into the Seeds of Happiness store where I was picking up smiles to share on a cruise that my wife and I were taking with another couple. We've been vacationing with this other couple almost our entire adult life. Come to find out Mark, the Seeds of Happiness guy and I, in the small world fashion, our lives overlap. I work with Mark's wife from time to time. That was enough for Mark to treat me like I was an insider at his studio. He asked me to try something out. Mark took me back in the studio, he dug through a few boxes. He comes up with these four triangular-round blue and red puzzle pieces made of clay. I watched as he puts the four pieces down on the table and start spinning and turning them until they make a four inch Seeds of Happiness logo. He says to me, give one to your wife, one to your buddy, and one to his wife, and Mark told me to keep one for myself. He continued, during your trip, when you're going to dinner or if you're going to do something fun, make sure when you guys all get together before you eat or before you do whatever you're going to do, put your puzzle together so you start that event off with a smile. Understanding that if everybody does not bring their piece of the puzzle, the smile is not complete.
Honestly I left the studio with the smiles that I was planning to give out on the cruise, thinking “whatever” about the puzzle. Me being a guy, I thought it seemed a little corny. Well, I got home and told my wife about the puzzle. She loved the idea. At the airport prior to leaving we divvied up the puzzle pieces. We told our friends that Mark said to put these together before we do anything fun or adventurous. So there, at the airport for the first time, we assembled the smile. Well, let me tell you, it was the funniest thing! We all absolutely had a ball with it. At two points during this vacation, somebody forgot their piece of the puzzle. Let me tell you, with all the joy Mark intended, they ran back to their room to get their puzzle piece so that we would start our excursion with a smile. It was hilarious! It was fun! It worked! It was part of our trip! We vowed that we would never go on a vacation without our pieces of the puzzle. I can't wait for our next vacation. Who knows we might complete our smile in some other country.
I went by the Seeds of Happiness studio with my buddy, the husband in the other couple. We both told Mark that never in our imagination would we have guessed how big of a part of the trip this would become. Mark responded, I just gave you a reminder on how to start your days. You are the ones who made the memories. You see, you never know what one little creative act of kindness might lead to. He then said, it usually leads to another act of kindness. Think about it, two couples confined on a cruise ship, nothing but fun and no problems? That tells me, you start and finished each day feeling kindness towards each other!
We told Mark he should sell these little “gems of a puzzle”.
A little side note. Mark told me he had made these for companies for meetings, as a metaphor! You see, of the people that work in a department could put their pieces together to make a smile. This then sets a tone of understand that every job is important, and if you're missing one piece to the puzzle, the company’s happiness is not complete.
I thought this was brilliant.
So thanks again Mark. I'll keep you posted on our next trip.
Mark
May 05, 2025
I keep a bag of Seeds in my car at all times. I share them with my circle of friends or complete strangers. It is a great inexpensive way to Touch somebody's heart and create a life lesson. Big things can come in little packages.
May the Lord bless you and all of the rest of the work you do!
Dana
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In 2006 Seeds of Happiness started out as leftover lumps of clay that Mark Borella made into little smiles to give to friends who were going through hard times and needed a little smile.
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